Review comments

Lakehill is a wonderful school with quite a bit to offer. Elementary school was a very positive experience. Middle school is just as wonderful! Our child reports that her grade is like having one big family. When one student needs help understanding, they all pitch in. Her grade is extremely cohesive and supportive. They kids in her grade were also extremely welcoming to the new kids. Starting Lakehill at any grade appears to be a relatively easy transition. The homework is very manageable this year but the academics and content remain challenging in a very positive way. Administrators and teachers are always working to find a healthy balance between academic preparation and opportunities to have a life outside of school. It has simply been a great experience!

Lakehill is a incredible school and one of the few with no religious affiliation while also offering k-12. We love the diverse group of parents and kids in all of the grades. We have met families from a variety of countries and areas of town. The academic requirements are intense, but doable. Teachers really work with the students to ensure their success. Overall, Lakehill is a positive, healthy, and supportive environment.

The comment below "You don't see Lakehill seniors moving on to the very top schools as you'd expect for the $ (very rarely do you see a Duke. Stanford, Ivy League)" was obviously written by someone who did not attend Lakehill's graduation ceremony: Lakehill's 26 graduates received 174 acceptances to 137 colleges and universities, and earned $6,500,000 in academic scholarships - that's an average of $250,000 per graduate! Ivy League - you bet - including Brown, Columbia, Penn, and Yale - as well as Duke, Williams College, Oberlin College, and Cal Berkeley, just to name a few!

Sent two kids there K - 8, both wanted to go on to larger schools for 9 - 12. Pros: - Very small school - small classrooms, good teacher interaction - Diversity in student body for a private school - Seems teachers have a lot of free rein for creative instruction methods - Did a fantastic job preparing kids for high school. Instilled creative and critical thinking skills - Great focus on encouraging reading from K - onward Cons: - The "family" aspect noted in other reviews becomes a bit inbred over time - not a lot of variety of thought/social difference tolerated by the tribe by the time they hit 7/8th grade. This is a critical developmental time and it may be hard to find acceptance if your child is different from the gene pool - Some teachers are there for their kids' free/discounted tuition - School can't offer the same depth/breadth of classes, athletics and extracurricular activities of larger schools - Some parents and kids believe themselves large fish in a very teeny pond and try to wield undue influence - You don't see Lakehill seniors moving on to the very top schools as you'd expect for the $ (very rarely do you see a Duke. Stanford, Ivy League)

This is an outstanding independent school with excellent academic programs in the lower, middle and upper schools. The academic programs are designed to fit the needs of the students who attent this small private school. Dedicated teachers and administration along with strong support from the families make this school one of the best in Dallas. I have children who have graduated from Lakehill and a current student. These students are challenged academically and have so many opportunities to participate in the arts, athletic programs, community service programs and take part in leadership opportunities. You name it. These students work very hard and are well prepared to succeed in college and to be future leaders when they graduate from Lakehill. The respect the students have for their classmates and for teachers is very admirable. The headmaster is one of the most respected headmasters in the country. He greets each child as they enter the school every morning.

The school can be a good environment for some classes/grades and not for others. I have heard this consistently from the teachers, administrators and the parents. We made a decision to move our child because they did not thrive and bloom as we expected and hoped. They entered the school a happy, healthy child but withered there over time. The administration really does not make the effort to instill character and kindness in the students and do not intervene when it's needed. Our child was not bullied but many are and very little is done to address those types of issues or inappropriate behavior toward eachother. It's a bit of a gamble here.

I have attended Lakehill since 3rd grade. In lower school, I had amazing teachers and I enjoyed school. In middle school, however I was bullied, and because of the size of the school, I could not make any new friends or escape bullies. Rumors also spread fast in a school so small. I am more excited than I should be to attend a different high school. There are some amazing teachers, but I would not recommend Lakehill for middle or high school.

Lakehill is a wonderful school. It is incredibly inclusive. As a Lower School parent, I have found myself going to the Upper School athletic events, and my kids couldn't wait to see the musical this weekend which was fabulous! My kids came home excited to have made stocking stuffers in their Tribes (family groups than span K-12) for the stockings that are given to the 150 senior citizen guests that come for lunch in December. This week they are looking forward to performing for their grandparents in the annual Grandparents Day celebration. Their grandparents travel many, many miles for this event and love every minute of it!

This school has been everything my family and I could have wished for when searching for a school seven years ago. The teachers are top notch, in fact ten of them were selected as finalists for the Greater East Dallas Chamber's Teacher of the Year awards and two Lakehill teachers will be honored tomorrow as East Dallas Teacher of the Year (Elementary and Middle School categories). The children who attend Lakehill are truly fortunate to have such outstanding educators. We as parents benefit greatly as well. But a review is just one person's opinion. Don't take my word for it - visit the school, meet the teachers, and see how engaged the students at Lakehill are. I suspect, that like us, it might just be everything you are looking for!

I really had to laugh out loud at some of the negative posts I've read below. Lakehill is such a small, close-knit community that when someone leaves a negative review, everyone knows who is behind the keyboard and everyone knows the real story. As the father of a middle schooler who just passed through lower school, and an upper schooler, I hear a lot about what goes on between kids! I've yet to encounter a school where kids were never mean to each other, for example. But bullying? Please! Parents who call every disagreement "bullying" are laughable. If anything, the occasional spats kids have are more like arguments between siblings, because the kids spend so much time around each other that they really are like family. I've always felt that my kids were well-respected and supported at Lakehill, and they've always felt that teachers have helped them solve their problems with maturity and support. Don't believe the negative posts; visit the school, talk to the teachers, talk to the kids. You've never encountered a school with such warmth and genuine care, I promise you. You'll feel it walking through the door. Other schools are bigger, but no place has more heart.